by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Old-time string music, with origins dating back to the late 19th century, never really went away. More accurately, it fell out of popular style, as most hit genres eventually do. Being a fundamentally American art form, though, it was always around, and it got a boost in national attention …
by Rosemary Ponnekanti for OLY ARTS Improvisation isn’t usually a thing for classical orchestras, so this year’s season for the Olympia Chamber Orchestra shows just how nimble that ensemble can be. After last year’s conductor search ended in disappointment, the orchestra is once again trying out two candidates, with some of the season’s music — …
by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS Native Olympian Nathan Rødahl will conduct the Olympia Chamber Orchestra’s fall concert, where Arriaga’s Symphony in D, Janacek’s Suite for Strings, Korngold’s Shneeman (The Snowman), Debussy’s Petite Suite and Bizet’s Symphony in C come together in an unconventional performance. Each of the five composers share something in common with …
by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS The Washington Center for the Performing Arts will throw its doors open during Fall Arts Walk. On Friday, see an hour-long performance by Random Acts of Dance Collective, led by Karen Kirsch. Or catch outdoor performances by Studio West Dance Academy students. They’ll treat the crowd to hip-hop and …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Continuing its quest to bring classical music to the people, Emerald City Music has returned for a second season. Formed in 2015 by Andrew Goldstein and Kristin Lee, ECM aims to strip away the perceived pretentiousness and exclusivity of classical music that have historically kept casual audiences at arm’s …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Billed as being “much like Parisian salons of old,” Center Salon at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts will fill the intimate space of the Black Box with art, literature, music and theater. Amy Shephard, actor, singer and co-founder of StoryOly at Rhythm & Rye, will emcee the …
WEEKEND PREVIEW is your weekly guide to events in Thurston County. This week, Olympia has enough musical performances to keep you entertained from morning till night! And don’t worry, we’ve got the inside scoop on all the concerts and theater productions around town, so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Just sit back and …
WEEKEND PREVIEW is your weekly guide to events in Thurston County. This week, there’s no shortage of highly anticipated musical performances, exquisite dance or thought-provoking theater to keep you entertained. Get ready for a full lineup of arts and culture in Olympia! Click here to listen to our podcast version of Weekend Preview, sponsored by Alan …
Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation. He’s spent over a decade sharing the stage with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras–from Sydney, Australia to the Kennedy Center–performing his pop hits and his critically acclaimed concerto for piano and orchestra. For five seasons he was a …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS The Last Five Years, opening Aug. 18 at Harlequin Productions’ State Theater, tells the story of a relationship told from beginning to end—and from end to beginning. The Jason Robert Brown musical opens with Cathy (Katherine Strohmaier) singing about the end of her marriage. Then Jamie (Aaron Lamb) sings …